Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright (AustenProse PR Book Tour)

 

Do you believe in ghosts?  I just went on a haunted trolly tour of Door County with one of my book clubs and it was a lot of fun.  I always enjoy a good ghost story.

Marian Anderson has lost her parents and her home in Milwaukee in 1921 after prohibition has caused the shut down of her family brewery.  She retains her family’s country estate, Mullerian, in rural Wisconsin near Milwaukee.  As she settles in, death seems to surround the estate and Marian has limited time to discover who the killer is before her own time is up.  In present day, Remy has moved to Mullerian Manor to help an author write a book about Marian Anderson and the Butterfly Butcher serial killer.  Will Remy be able to solve the mystery of both Marian and her own past?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The gothic atmosphere of this novel made this a perfect read for October.  I loved the ghosts and haunted house aspects.  I especially love a house with passages that lead to no where and secret entrances and exits.

·       The cover of this novel is beautiful, and I love how it features the glass butterfly house which is an important part of the story in both timelines.

·       As a resident of Wisconsin, I really loved the Wisconsin setting.  I also enjoyed the historical aspect as I always wonder how different breweries made it through prohibition and all the bars.  I know the major breweries started producing soda pop, but not everyone made the switch.

·       There were side characters in each timeline that were interesting.  I particularly enjoyed Marian’s childhood friend Felix, a WWI veteran who has returned with demons of his own.

·       I thought it was very interesting that the book looked into mental health in a sensitive and thoughtful way.

·       The storyline was intriguing, and it kept me engaged throughout.  Especially towards the end I could not put this book down.  I did not guess the ending to the mysteries.

·       Both storylines were equally engaging.  Sometimes I like on storyline in a dual storyline book more than the other.  It was not the case in this novel!

·       There are great discussion questions for a book club at the end and a sneak peek into Jaime Jo Wright’s next book which is set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  I can’t wait to read it when it comes out next spring.

Favorite Quotes:

“Death had always been fashionable.  Women celebrated it by donning black silks and feathers and shawls and lace.  Men acknowledged it with a band on their hat or a mourning ring on their finger.  Of course, that was more to announce their eligibility than anything else.  For what man could continue to flourish in life without a wife to manage his household and rear his children?”  Great 1^st paragraph of the novel!

“There were no bodies.  Nothing but broken wings and the memory of someone who smiled when death came to call.”

“People have this measuring stick they use and hold one another up to.  If you’re running a tad short, then something’s wrong with you.”

Overall, Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright was an engaging Gothic historical mystery romance set in Wisconsin that was perfect for the spooky season.

Book Source:  Review copy from Bethany House as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

An ominous butterfly house. A sinister legacy. An untraceable killer.

In 1921, Marian Arnold, the heiress to a brewing baron's empire, seeks solace in the glass butterfly house on her family's Wisconsin estate as Prohibition and the deaths of her parents cast a long shadow over her shrinking world. When Marian's sanctuary is invaded by nightmarish visions, she grapples with the line between hallucinations of things to come and malevolent forces at play in the present. With dead butterflies as the killer's ominous signature, murders unfold at a steady pace. Marian, fearful she might be next, enlists the help of her childhood friend Felix, a war veteran with his own haunted past.

In the present day, researcher Remy Shaw becomes entangled in an elderly biographer's quest to uncover the truth behind Marian Arnold's mysterious life and the unsolved murders linked to an infamous serial killer. Joined by Marian's great-great-grandson, can Remy expose the evil that lurks beneath broken wings? Or will the dark legacy surrounding the manor and its glass house destroy yet another generation?

ADVANCE PRAISE

"Readers will be eager to take this twisty, suspense-filled ride."— Publishers Weekly

AUTHOR BIO

Jaime Jo Wright is the author of twelve novels, including Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She's also a four-time Christy Award finalist, as well as the ECPA bestselling author of The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater, and two Publishers Weekly bestselling novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her family and fabulous felines. Learn more at JaimeWrightBooks.com.

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

 

Have you ever had a job that you dread going to?  I love my current job, but the job I had immediately before this job was one that I dreaded every day.  I only stayed at that job briefly.  Co-workers and bosses can make a big difference on whether you have a good experience at work or not.  Luckily, I was only at this bad job for a few months.

Jolene has been living life in a drunken fog, paralyzed by anxiety.  She has no friends, is estranged from her parents, and has no love life.  All Jolene has is her job.  She entertains herself by writing her true thoughts on the bottom of emails and then changing the text color to white.  One day she forgets to change the text color and she is reported to HR.  She is sentenced to sensitivity training with the new HR guy Cliff.  She soon discovers that when IT updated her computer, they accidentally gave her access to everyone in the office’s emails and chats.  She tries to report it to Cliff but is not believed.  When she discovers that layoffs are coming, she decides to use her new powers to help her keep her job.  What could go wrong?

My thoughts on this novel:

·     
  This novel was set in Canada.

·       The start of this book was bleak and felt like a downer.  Jolene’s life and outlook is depressing.  Luckily the mood changed as the book continued and it grew more lighthearted, sarcastic, and fun.

·       I loved the theme that once you get to know people, you will find out that everyone has something going on and we can all give others grace.

·       This novel has great character development, and I grew to care for so many of the characters.  They were very relatable.

·       Jolene is a great character. She is working through the trauma of her high school best friend dying and she has great growth throughout the novel.  She is half Persian and must deal with her Persian mother’s expectations.

·       Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. 

·       This novel had a sweet and believable romance between Cliff and Jolene.

·       This was a fantastic debut author, and I can’t wait to see what author Natalie Sue has next.

·       This novel was witty and well written.  I loved the sarcasm and dry humor.

·       I read and enjoyed this novel in May and I’m working on catching up on reviews.

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue has romance, comedy, office politics, anxiety, family drama and heart-warming moments.  I enjoyed this unique novel and highly recommend it.

Book Source:  Giveaway copy from Book Club Girls and William Morrow Books. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 

What book has your book club read that prompted the most discussion?  The Midnight Library by Matt Haig prompted great discussion in January at our Rogue Book club meeting.

Nora Seed has many regrets in her life.  She tries to commit suicide and finds herself at the Midnight Library.  The library exists between life and death.  Nora’s beloved childhood librarian is there and shows Nora her book of regrets.  Nora can pick a regret and see how her life would be if she took another path.  Nora discovers these life lessons:

-        Some of what you beat yourself up about is not really your fault.

-        Sometimes the one that got away, got away for a good reason.

-        Great success comes at a cost.

Author Matt Haig had tried to commit suicide himself and has struggled through mental health issues including depression in his life.  These experiences are really shown in this novel.  It started off very bleak but had a good ending.

This book reminded me of one of my favorite all time movies, It’s a Wonderful Life.   I have always loved to watch and read “what if” type scenarios probably from watching It’s a Wonderful Life and from watching “The City on the Edge of Forever” classic original Star Trek series episode.    Do you like thinking about these types of scenarios?

Favorite Quote:

“You don't have to understand life. You just have to live it.”

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com.

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan

Jenny Colgan is my go-to author for a fun happy read.  I brought along The Bookshop on the Shore on a recent camping trip and had a great time reading it while watching the kids swim.  I really like how in a Jenny Colgan novel, the main characters are able to work through problems and find their way to a happy fulfilling life.

Zoe is a single mother struggling to meet ends meet in London.  She loves her son Hari, but can’t figure out why at age four, he still isn’t speaking.  Hari’s dad, Jaz, flies in and out of their lives as a DJ, but it too busy to help with the nitty gritty things like paying rent.  Jaz finally tells his sister, Surinder, about Zoe and Hari and she decides to help them out.  She gets Zoe a part time job helping her friend Nina with her bookmobile in Scotland and a second job as a nanny to three children at a grand estate.  Will Zoe be able to put her life back together in Scotland?  Will Hari be able to learn how to talk?  What is the mystery of the estate, the three children, their father, and their missing mother?

I loved this story.  It was enjoyable to have the characters of Nina, Surinder, and Lennox return from The Bookshop on the Corner, but this book stands on its own.  I was intrigued by the big house, Ramsey, his children, and his missing wife. The Bookshop on the Shore had a slight Jane Eyre vibe to it as Zoe tries to figure out the mystery and help the poor motherless children. I read the back of the book to my 9-year-old daughter Penelope and she predicted the ending.  She had me give her status updates to the story as I read along.  She was also satisfied by the story.  The happy ending may be predicted, but it is all about the journey along the way.  I liked that the story was able to discuss a variety of issues including mental health issues. 

I also love that this book loves books.  As with The Bookshop on the Corner, the traveling bookmobile bookstore is always trying to find the perfect book for patrons with Zoe at the helm with Nina laid up during her pregnancy.  Zoe is more about making money selling books to tourists than to the locals much to Nina’s horror.  Ramsey has a wonderful huge library in his home and is an antique book dealer, although he seems to like to collect the books more than he likes to sell them.  I loved the discussion of favorite books throughout the novel.  I just love reading about books!!

Overall, The Bookshop on the Shore was a perfect fun summer book.  I loved the Jane Eyre vibe, discussions of books, characters, discussions of mental illness, humor, and romance.  This book has it all!

Book Source:  Purchased at Barnes & Nobles